These are the months when Sunday is my favorite day to cook. Nothing keeps the chill away more than filling the house with the tempting aromas of sumptuous beef bourguignon or coq au vin—the kind of wine-laced, slow-cooked dish to delve into when time is not of the essence.

Wine provides a subtle background to ingredients and coaxes out their fullest potential, infusing a richness to red meats, a buttery finish to chicken, or a vinegary brightness to fish. Choose the right wine for cooking and, ironically, you won’t taste it in the finished dish; you’ll taste its essential qualities.

On a recent visit to Asheville, North Carolina, to visit the storied Biltmore estate, I got together with Grand Bohemian Hotel executive chef Adam Hayes to cook up a few new renditions of wine-based dishes, using the time-honored techniques of marinating, braising, and reducing. We even did a little baking, using a sugar-intense port.

Choosing wine for cooking has a few basic tenets, the first of which redefines the term “cooking wine.”

“Don’t cook with wine you wouldn’t drink,” Hayes says. “Try the wine before you cook with it.” Choose an inexpensive bottle from an established label—but don’t waste the auction house purchase you’ve cellared for a special occasion. Serve that with dinner.

For red wine-based dishes, burgundy and pinot noir are excellent in recipes with such herbs as oregano, sage, or thyme. Cabernet sauvignon will bolster heartier dishes such as lamb; zinfandel will add its inherent spiciness. For white wine-based recipes, chardonnay’s buttery, oaky notes pair with stews packed with slow-cooked root vegetables. Use sauvignon blanc’s acidic, herbal qualities to enhance recipes with basil, tarragon, or fennel. For spicy or peppery chicken, shellfish, or fish, go with fruity, floral gewürztraminer, riesling, or viognier. Use fortified wines such as port, sherry, or Madeira for baking with chocolate.

“Adding a dash of wine, even when the recipe doesn’t call for it, can be a game-changer,” Hayes says. “As the alcohol cooks off, the base notes of the wine linger.” I agree—the result combines the rewards of a favorite comfort food and a glass of wine—a perfect prescription for a cold winter day.

Red meats soak up flavor when marinated in red wine. The acids in wine help break down tough fibers, so this is a wonderful technique for less tender cuts such as chuck (pot roast) or brisket.

After marinating, use a traditional enamel cast iron round brasier, such as this 3-1/2 quart braiser from Le Creuset to sear the short ribs and cook the dish. Its depth is tall enough to hold most cuts of meat, but shallow enough to provide a larger surface for tenderizing.

Sautéing shellfish in white wine creates a flavorful sauce to enhance their briny taste—think of it as a yin-yang of flavor.

A large stainless steel French skillet has higher walls than a traditional sauté or frying pan, making it useful for adding liquid to an already full pan and creating a sauce after sautéing. This 11-inch French skillet from All Clad comes with a domed lid that helps trap moisture.

One oft-quoted piece of wisdom from Juiia Child was “Reduce! Reduce! Reduce!” The queen of cookery wasn’t kidding—to intensify the flavors of a wine sauce, cook it down by at least one-half to two-thirds.

To do it best, use a copper saucepan—liquids reach a consistent boil and then simmer, allowing reduction at a consistent level of heat. Mauviel sets the standard for copper cookware. A 2.6-quart size is a good basic to have on hand.

Remove bay leaf if desired. Start whisking in butter. Return saucepan back to heat if butter stops melting, but maintain temperature of 100° to 120°F by moving saucepan back and forth from heat (sauce will break if warmer). Once butter is fully incorporated, whisk in whipping cream. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Place saucepan on stovetop to keep warm before serving.

When you braise, you use both dry heat and wet heat for fork-tender results—that means browning the meat in a small amount of fat, then cooking it in a small amount of liquid over low heat.

A pot with a tight-fitting lid is imperative for braising. It gets even better when the lid is fashioned to help the process along. Staub enamel cast-iron cocottes have small “spikes” imbedded in the lid, which allows essential moisture to return to the food as it cooks. A 4-1/2 quart oval cocotte is the perfect size for preparing this dish; Staub USA is an excellent source if you are looking for one.

Add leek, parsnip and garlic to Dutch oven; cook 4 minutes over medium heat or until garlic lightly browns. Remove Dutch oven from heat. Carefully add brandy to Dutch oven. Return to heat. Cook and stir to scrape up any browned bits from bottom of Dutch oven and until brandy glazes the bottom of the Dutch oven. Add thyme, bay leaves, and half the plums. Add wine. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until mixture is reduced by one-third. Add chicken stock. Bring to boiling. Add chicken pieces to Dutch oven. Cover Dutch oven; place in the oven. Bake 30 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink (180°F).

Remove chicken from liquid and set aside. Strain braising liquid; discard solids. Skim fat from braising liquid. You should have about 2-1/2 cups liquid.

Heat oil in Dutch oven. Add pearl onions; cook 6 minutes or until browned. Add mushrooms and remaining plums; cook 4 minutes more or until tender. Add braising liquid and remaining 1 teaspoon nutmeg. In a small bowl combine arrowroot and water; add to Dutch oven. Cook and stir until mixture is slightly thickened and comes to a boil. Stir in bacon and chicken pieces; heat through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with Mashed Potatoes. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

While Black Forest Cake usually calls for kirsch, or cherry-flavor brandy, we decided sweet cherries soaked in port would be an admirable substitute. We also lightened the cake batter, giving it a more airy texture.

To help achieve this, non-stick cake pans make the job easier. We used the Williams-Sonoma Goldtouch nonstick 9-inch round cake pans. The aluminized steel distributes heat evenly and the nonstick surface helps release the cake layers without sticking. For this cake, we still recommend lining the pans with parchment paper to ensure the finished layer doesn’t stick to the pan.

For Chocolate Cake:
In medium saucepan combine chocolate and milk. Cook and stir over low heat until melted; set aside to cool. In medium bowl combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease bottoms and sides of three 9x2-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms of pans with parchment paper. Grease parchment paper and generously coat pans with flour.

In large bowl combine eggs, egg yolk and 2 cups granulated sugar. Place bowl over skillet or saucepan of simmering water. Cook and stir until an instant read thermometer reaches 110ºF. Remove from heat.

Using an electric mixer, beat mixture until it becomes very light and thick, about 10 to 15 minutes. Whisk in 3 tablespoons port and 1 teaspoon vanilla until just combined.

In very large bowl beat butter and remaining 2/3 cup granulated sugar until well combined. Alternately add flour and chocolate mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined. Carefully fold in egg mixture just until combined. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans.

Bake in preheated oven 20 to 25 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted near centers comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes.

*Tip: To toast coconut chips, preheat oven to 350°F. Spread coconut chips in an even layer in 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Bake 5 to 10 minutes or until lightly golden brown, stirring once. Fresh peeled coconuts are available at some grocery stores and melissas.com. Use a vegetable peeler to peel shards from coconut meat; toast as directed.